London Bridge has a secret entrance hidden behind centuries of history and a 2000-year-old Roman surprise

London Bridge has a secret entrance nestled on the north-side of the river in St. Magnus the Martyr Church and a fascinating history, subject to plagues, wars and fires.

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London Bridge in some form has existed almost as long as London itself, although not as the bridge we know today.

Many don’t know that you can still see the bridge’s former pedestrian entrance nestled in the City of London, just a short walk from the bridge's current site.

London Bridge's old pedestrian entrance - St. Magnus the Martyr Church

The old entrance to the bridge is aligned with Fish Street Hill and is built into the tower of St. Magnus the Martyr Church on Lower Thames Street.

Turn the corner at the infamous Monument, and you are met with a charming 17th century Anglo-Catholic Church.

St. Magnus the Martyr Church is located opposite the Monument, surrounded by modern-day buildings.

The church itself was founded in the 11 th century but was destroyed in the Great Fire of London of 1666. It was re-built by Christopher Wren in 1687, the same architect responsible for the iconic Monument on Pudding Lane and of course St Paul's Cathedral.

From the 18th century, this unassuming church courtyard was where pedestrians would enter the old London Bridge.

In the courtyard, there is a large piece of timber from an old Roman wharf, which dates back to around 75 AD. This old beam was found on Fish Street Hill in 1931 and was brought to the churchyard.

The plaque on the timber reads: 'From Roman Wharf AD 75: Found Fish Street Hill 1931'

If you venture inside the church, there is another nod to the bridge's rich past. You can view a large model of the old London Bridge, created by liveryman David Aggett in 1987.

Aggett's model shows the old bridge in great detail, with over 900 tiny people crammed onto the bridge, alongside houses, shops and chapels.

You can see a model chapel, dedicated to St. Thomas Becket, which used to stand at the centre of the bridge and marked the boundary of Southwark and the City of London.

David Aggett's model of London Bridge, completed in 1987.

History of London Bridge:

A river crossing around the bridge's current site has existed since around 47 CE and it has since been destroyed, sold, and rebuilt numerous times.

It began with a timber bridge, existing for centuries before being replaced with a stone design in the 13th century.

Peter De Colechurch's bridge (13th-19th centuries):

The first stone version of the bridge was built in 1209 by Peter De Colechurch to replace the original Roman crossing.

The building of bridges is rooted in religion and was often seen as an 'act of piety and a commitment to God', hence the entrance's location right next to a church.

Colechurch himself was a priest and began the bridge’s construction work in 1176, during the reign of Henry II. The construction took thirty-three years and the delay was mainly due to costs from Richard the Lionheart's (Richard I) war.

A plaque commemorates the churchyard as the site of the old London Bridge's entrance.

Henry II's successor, King John, decreed that dwellings and shops should be erected on the bridge for rent. The bridge was officially opened to the public shortly before he signed the Magna Carta.

Bridge House was set up on the south side of the bridge during the 13th century to administer the taxes and rents the bridge raised. It became a vital centre of cross-river trade and tolls existed for crossing the bridge, passing under in a ship and fines for illegal fishing.

This enterprise became known as Bridge House Estates and at one point, in 1358, Bridge Wardens recorded 138 rent-paying shops on the bridge. The last tenancy on the bridge was in 1762 and all houses were fully cleared.

Aggett's model shows can houses and figurines of people who lived and worked on the bridge.

Colechurch’s stone bridge lasted for around 600 years and has a rather turbulent history. Not only did it collapse on numerous occasions, it was also ravaged by plagues and fires.

In 1305, the first of many ‘enemy’ heads was displayed on the bridge, that of William Wallace, a knight who fought for Scottish Independence.

John Rennie's Bridge (18th-20th centuries):

Colechurch’s bridge was considered 'out of fashion' by the 18th century, compared to the new Westminster Bridge, and was a hinderance to boats due to its narrow arches.

A Bill for a replacement bridge was passed in 1823. This would be paid for by the City of London Corporation and the Treasury, on the condition that it was wider than the previous bridge.

Rennie's Bridge c1890, looking north east. You can see Monument and the chapel of St. Magnus the Martyr church in the distance.

The man chosen for the job was John Rennie, who was also the architect behind Waterloo and Southwark Bridge, with work beginning in 1824.

This bridge was famously sold to American millionaire Robert McCullogh and reconstructed at Lake Havasu City, Arizona, in 1971.

Today's London Bridge:

The bridge as we know it today was designed by Lord Holford, paid for entirely by the City Bridge Foundation.

London Bridge in April 2025.

The modern-day bridge was officially opened in 1973 by Queen Elizabeth II but you can still see the traces of its history if you visit the chapel on the north side.

There are proposals from The London Bridge Museum & Educational trust for a dedicated Museum, which would tell the story of the bridge from Roman times to the present day.